Whether you know it or not, you probably have an efficiency problem with your order sets. From best practices to current state of treatment, order sets are in a market that is transitioning away from regulatory-driven acquisition into maintenance. While Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), required as part of the Health IT adoption program, did an admirable job of helping organizations to move toward electronic health records, the reality is that this same digital content now requires continuous management.
As the paradigm shifts from adoption to optimization, understanding the challenges and potential benefits of streamlining order set management processes is paramount for provider organizations and industry vendors alike.
To determine if the current norm is the right way forward under a transitioning healthcare IT framework, Provation, in partnership with Modern Healthcare Custom Media, surveyed U.S. healthcare executives to find out how they are currently managing order sets and glean insights into the effectiveness of their current processes.
A staggering 72% of executives surveyed noted their organizations are managing large libraries of order sets in their EHR—a system that typically isn’t designed for clinical content management. This leaves providers responsible for keeping order sets up to date with the most current medical evidence and clinical best practices. It’s an extremely laborious and time-consuming task that can take a significant toll on resources and operational efficiency. So, the 91% of respondents that said the order set management process is “very important or important” to their organization, aren’t getting the most out of their system.
In fact, inefficient or ineffective order set management processes carries a high price tag that should incent hospitals to adopt more efficient, effective management tools and processes. According to The Advisory Board, doing so will generate potential savings of $20 million to $30 million (per $1 billion in revenue).
Those savings, coupled with the impact on clinical outcomes, creates a real urgency around improving management of evidence-based order set content. By rethinking long-term strategies and teaming up with a partner that can streamline processes and deliver continuous value and support for enhanced management processes, hospitals and health systems will optimize protocols, encourage even broader adoption and realize the benefits that comes with eliminating care variations.